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Latest Release
- 1 Song
- B: The Beginning The Image Album · 2018
- Speed Metal Symphony · 1987
- Wall of Sound · 2017
- Speed Metal Symphony · 1987
- Dragon's Kiss · 1988
- Wall of Sound · 2017
- Speed Metal Symphony · 1987
- Speed Metal Symphony · 1987
- Dragon's Kiss · 1988
- 2020
- 2017
- 2011
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- 2021
Live Albums
- 2018
- 2008
- Daniel Devita
- Hiroko Moriguchi
- Russ Hewitt
About Marty Friedman
One of the ultimate '80s guitar shredders, Marty Friedman first made his name with the speed-burning virtuoso outfit Cacophony, but landed his most widely renowned gig as the lead guitarist of Megadeth during the thrash legends' greatest period of popularity. Friedman was born in 1962 and grew up in the Baltimore area; he began playing guitar at age 15 in a band called Deuce, shortly before his family moved to Hawaii. While in Hawaii, Friedman hooked up with a local band (which changed names and personnel fairly often) and recorded with them on three different albums. Friedman studied guitar in earnest, going so far as to explore ethnic music (particularly Asian and Middle Eastern) in search of new, exotic scales to incorporate into his lead playing. He initially connected with the shred-guitar label Shrapnel in 1981, but it wasn't until 1987 that he, along with friend Jason Becker, made an impact on the larger guitar community. The twin-guitar heroics of their debut album as Cacophony, Speed Metal Symphony, made an instant splash, and both took the opportunity to record the solo albums they'd been working on individually prior to the genesis of Cacophony. Friedman's solo debut, Dragon's Kiss, was released on Shrapnel in 1988, and it was stylistically similar to his Cacophony material. After one further Cacophony album, 1989's Go Off!, Friedman and Becker went their separate ways. Friedman joined Megadeth in late 1990, becoming their third lead guitarist in four albums; however, he managed to bring some stability to the position, remaining with the band for ten years. His debut with the band, Rust in Peace, demonstrated his immediate impact on the rest of the group, still standing as one of the most technically accomplished albums in all of thrash metal. His second album with Megadeth, Countdown to Extinction, was the band's popular breakthrough, making them one of the biggest heavy metal groups in the world. In 1992, Friedman capitalized on the group's popularity as an opportunity to do something different: he stunned metal fans by hooking up with new age star Kitaro for a reflective, Asian-tinged instrumental album titled Scenes, which also appeared on Shrapnel. Pleased with the results, Friedman continued in that vein with his second contemporary instrumental album, 1994's Introduction, which boasted an even stronger Japanese flavor. Friedman continued to pursue his solo career as an outlet for less aggressive sounds, releasing True Obsession in 1996. Friedman left Megadeth in 2000, about a year after the release of their Risk album. He released Music for Speeding in 2003, followed by an instructional video called 99 Secret Lead Guitar Phrases in 2006. Loudspeaker and Future Addict arrived in early 2006 and 2008, respectively, and in 2009 he dropped a collection of Japanese covers, the aptly named Tokyo Jukebox. A second set of covers, Tokyo Jukebox 2, arrived in 2011, followed by an all-new set of originals, Inferno, in 2014. 2017's Wall of Sound saw Friedman joined by a host of guests, including Jinxx from Black Veil Brides, Shiv Mehra from Deafheaven, and Jørgen Munkeby from Shining. ~ Steve Huey
- Washington, D.C.
- December 8, 1962
- Rock


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(CNN) -- The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking the arrest of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on charges of genocide in a five-year campaign of violence in the country's Darfur region. Luis Moreno-Ocampo spoke exclusively to CNN's Nic Robertson ahead of his announcement on Monday of the charges.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo: "Pressure is normal in my job ... I don't care about opinions. I care about my evidence."
Nic Robertson: What exactly are you accusing President Bashir of?
Luis Moreno-Ocampo: We request a warrant for the crime of genocide -- 6a, b and c -- basically massive rapes and the condition of 2.5 million people -- in addition we charged him with crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Q. For genocide though -- attempt to destroy an ethnic group in whole or in part -- which is an intent -- how do you prove intent?
A. The evidence shows that al-Bashir has absolute control of his forces and his forces absolutely target the land of the Fur, the Masalit and the Zaghawa -- 98 percent of the Fur villages were attacked -- so all these people were removed, substantial part of the people in camps are Fur Masalit and Zaghawa -- and al Bashir attacks these people in their lands and in their camps -- he is trying to destroy a substantial part of these groups and that's why it's a genocide. Watch as ICC prosecutor targets Sudan leader »
Q. How can you prove it's him -- there are Janjaweed, other forces there?
A. We prove that al-Bashir has absolute control -- he is the president of the country, chairman of national congress party -- commander in chief of the army -- he is the chairman of the secretary council -- he organized personally the Janjaweed militia -- integrate them into the police and the army -- we have evidence of showing that different elements of the janjaweed call him, report to him -- so al-Bashir controls everything in Darfur.
Q. You have his signature on a piece of paper instructing them what to do?
A. No the evidence is different -- it's a puzzle, we are showing a big puzzle -- we have (a) couple of documents proving, a document that the Sudan provided saying the army was following instructions of the president.
Q. And what were those instructions?
A. The instructions in fact were if you have forces inside your soldiers attacking the same people for five years -- against the international community, against everyone -- you believe al-Bashir is not controlling this -- so the intention of al-Bashir are coming from the facts -- the facts show al-Bashir's intention -- if I put a knife in your chest, I have intention to kill you -- the same -- if al Bashir attacks with his army, all these people, he is out to destroy them.
Q. What single piece of evidence is there in your opinion that most strongly points towards genocide?
A. Thousands of documents -- thousands of different types of evidence -- Ahmed Haroun was the minister of interior who coordinated attacks in 2003, 2004. in 2005 he was appointed to manage the camps so Haroun is the connection between attacks in the village and attacks in the camps. Haroun says he was always following Bashir's instructions. And Bashir says Haroun follows his instructions and Bashir say he will never hand over Haroun because he has to follow his instructions. He is confessing to me.
Q. In 2005 the U.N. commission said they didn't find genocide in Darfur -- what's changed?
A. In 2005 the U.N. said something very important -- they say if people are just for this place and protected in this camps there is no genocide. What we are proving now -- with the evidence we collect now -- is the same people are now attacking the camp -- massive rapes. They are raping women, raping girls, raping in groups -- raping to destroy the communities -- rape is a tool in the genocide, the most important tool today.
Q. How is rape a tool in genocide?
A. Attacking the women, destroying the society, the community and also normally rape is under reported -- so al-Bashir is committee a genocide through rapes in front of our eyes and we are saying nothing. In the Rwandan tribunal they have an important decision called Acayesu -- they say rape is a way to destroy the spirit and the life of a group. That is what al-Bashir is doing with these people. Massive rapes.
Q. Do you though have one specific case that you can point to -- one specific case -- that you can say that, there, right there, is genocide?
A. We have been saying in addition to the massive numbers we have been telling individual stories -- stories of women who say for instance we know we are raped when we go looking for the firewood -- so they decide to go in groups -- and they run -- they escape, some of them escape, some of them are raped. And we have stories about families who escape. Then people die because of the conditions that they saw -- we have stories of a father that says my daughter was raped and they were forced to watch when they rape my daughter -- we have these types of stories for each of the cases for each of the groups.
Q. Sudan's representative, ambassador to the U.N. has already said on the strength of this -- that you are playing with fire by going after Sudan's president.
A. I have a responsibility to the security council -- the security council referred the case to me and requested me to investigate. After 3 years I have strong evidence that al Bashir is committing a genocide -- I cannot be blackmailed -- I cannot yield. Silence never helped the victims. Silence helped the perpetrators. The prosecutor should not be silent.
Q. There are aid officials, there are U.N. peacekeepers who are in Darfur right now -- are you concerned for their safety?
A. We are not imposing our case on any peacekeeper -- we are not requesting evidence from them -- any humanitarian assistant -- none of them -- but if al-Bashir's forces are attacking peacekeepers it is another reason to stop him -- yes -- attacking a peacekeeper is a war crime.
Q. Why haven't these charges been brought before -- couldn't they have saved more lives?
A. I never would present my case before I am ready -- one year ago I was ready for Haroun the minister -- I presented a strong case against him -- and after that I went looking for more evidence -- now I present my second case, the evidence shows Bashir. I follow my evidence I cannot be before my evidence.
Q. And what has happened to Haroun subsequently?
A. No that is an interesting piece -- after the judges issued an arrest warrant for Haroun what was happening with Bashir was that Haroun was confirming following his instructions -- so that's an interesting piece -- and also we investigated Haroun when he was minister of interior and after 2005 he was minister for humanitarian affairs -- responsible for the HAC -- the commission who control the camps -- so he is the one managing the camp -- so he was in both main aspects of the genocide -- when they attack the people in their homes and now attacking them in the camps.
Q. But despite indicting Ahmed Haroun he still has not appeared in your courtroom?
A. Of course because the responsiblity to arrest him belongs to al Bashir, and al Bashir in addition has the possibility to offer him impunity -- so that's why confirming his control -- he is not just giving instructions to Haroun he has the ability to protect Haroun and not arrest him -- that's why I had to do Bashir -- because all the others are protected by Bashir.
Q. How can you expect to get President Bashir in your court here?
A. This will need to be a security council resolution that the security council will have to implement.
Q. What will they have to do?
A. Look -- the main responsibility of Sudan itself -- we are not asking for a resolution -- is Sudan has to arrest the person. Normally Sudan reject it, and now the security council has to impose that the Sudan respect the resolution of the court.
Q. What sort of pressures are you feeling already from this announcement?
A. I am doing my work -- and follow my evidence -- no one is trying to stop me -- and no one is pushing me -- I am an independent prosecutor.
Q. But what pressures are you feeling?
A. Pressure is normal in my job (are you saying there are no pressures?) it is normal -- we are working in a glass box, people make opinions but it is not pressure (What opinions are you hearing?) everyone's. I don't care about opinions. I care about my evidence. I am doing legal work here.
Q. What happens now you have presented the papers?
A. Now we request our warrant -- the decision is in the hands of the judges now -- there are three judges -- judge Qunia, from Ghana, judge Stener, from Brazil, judge Usaka from Latvia -- they will decide, they can dismiss my evidence, they can approve my request or they can do something in the middle -- so it is their decision. Normally this take 2-3 months, this case is bigger, maybe take more -- but it is their decision, now they will decide?
Q. So what are the implications going to be for President Bashir, assuming the judges go along with what you are presenting them?
A. It will be another warrant against al-Bashir has to be arrested -- the state parties are forced, have a legal obligation to arrest him -- the rest of the U.N. system -- the security council, have to endeavour to cooperate with the court -- so depends on their own will -- but I think al-Bashir's destiny is a dock in the court.
Q. What do you mean by that?
A. Al-Bashir is indicted by genocide -- if al-Bashir is indicted for genocide his destiny is to face justice -- he has to explain what he did -- he is responsible?
Q. I still don't understand how you can expect to bring him to justice -- he is in command of his own destiny in Sudan, he doesn't have to leave the country?
A. Maybe not in 2 months -- maybe it will take 2 years or 15 years -- this is a permanent court -- the court could wait to do the trial, victims cannot wait, girls raped cannot wait -- they cannot rape more in Darfur -- so time is not in favor of the victims -- the trial could wait.
Q. But if you don't get the man you say is responsible for these crimes and he is still there in Sudan, then the crimes could continue?
A. Yes. My part is to do the investigation and prove the case -- I did it. This is the first step for the victims. Confirm the truth. The victims have the right to the truth. My evidence shows the truth. Then if the judges confirm my views and issue the warrant -- the court does the traditional part. Now it's arrest. The security council has to do their part, establish a system to see how to arrest al Bashir -- and he has to face justice. It is a complicated process but it is the only solution -- I think it is the chance to help these victims. If the world ignores a genocide -- fools have normal hopes but my kids have no more hopes.
Q. I just want to go back to the impact on President Bashir -- let's say the arrest warrant is issued for him -- what are the practical implications going to be for President Bashir?
A. The practical implications ... he has an arrest warrant for genocide -- there are two aspects -- who will arrest him, and if he travels outside he will be arrested. In the meantime there are many citizens in the world that can make their voice loud and say al-Bashir has to be stopped -- so al-Bashir will face the world if the world works together to stop the genocide.
Q. Once President Bashir is indicted does this not hamper any negotiations to try to bring peace in Darfur?
A. We need negotiation but negotiation cannot ignore the truth. The truth is al-Bashir has committed a genocide in Darfur -- it's an ongoing genocide -- that's the point -- you have to negotiate but it's an ongoing genocide -- the first negotiation is to stop, today, the genocide -- that's it.
Q. Are you concerned at all that he will harden his position and things may get worse, may accelerate there?
A. He cannot blackmail the world, al-Bashir cannot blackmail the world -- the world cannot yield, I will not yield, I will do my job -- the security council requested that I investigate the case, I did it and I will keep doing it.
Q. But it's not blackmail -- if there's no one in the world willing to go into the country and pick him up it's not blackmail -- he can continue as he wants.
A. I said blackmail because he could attack people -- yes -- but this is a new world -- we are trying to establish a global community based in law, and that requires commitment so I count on the commitment of the citizens of the world and the governments of the world -- they have to stop al-Bashir's genocide -- it's our responsibility.
Q. What makes you think they will? They haven't so far? And look at the U.N. peacekeeping force that is there right now -- it's a third the size it should be ... no one has stood up to President Bashir yet.
A. Okay look I cannot talk for others -- I will tell you what I will do -- I have a mandate to investigate crimes, I will do it and I will keep doing it.
Q. What I haven't asked you here that I should have asked you -- you know the details far better than I can -- I want to make sure I don't miss anything that you consider very important -- do you have a smoking gun?
A. No -- look -- we investigate the case without receiving intelligence, without questioning journalists, without questioning humanitarian people, U.N. people -- so we find evidence looking for different sources so we have interesting documents, evidence but you have to see the entire picture -- you cannot take a picture of the genocide committed over five years in a region the size of France -- there is no picture of that -- you have to understand the complexity and we have little elements showing the complexity and the consistency of the attacks in each moment. That's what we have.
Q. Do you ever find yourself being frustrated by the situation there -- the part of the international community that are the best witnessed to what is happening in Darfur are essentially compelled to keep quiet about what they see so they can continue to provide humanitarian services to keep people alive?
A. Without humanitarian assistance 2.5 million people will die -- so I cannot exploit that -- that is why I respect absolutely the different work of the humanitarian people -- so I did not request information from them -- I had to bring my case without affecting the humanitarian assistance.
Q. But the implications right now: the Sudanese are clearly upset and angry about the position right now -- there are clearly implications that may threaten the humanitarian work -- this is perhaps Sudan's strongest card.
A. That's the point -- a prosecutor cannot be blackmailed -- I have my evidence showing that girls and women are raped each day -- how many rapes, I have to wait. 20 rapes? 200 rapes? 20,000 rapes. Can I wait? No I cannot wait. No I cannot. Silence will never help the victims. My duty is to investigate and I will do it.
Q. I think I interrupted you before ...
A. Well we can also talk about the Africans. Because this perception in the African Union are worried about this so we can talk about the Africans.
Q. Well I asked before what political pressures you were feeling -- what is the reaction that you are getting from African nations?
A. I think it is important to understand we are working for Africans in this case and with Africans but Afrcia is tired of double standards. Arabs are also tired of double standards. That's why this court is an opportunity to create a real one standard -- stop genocide. That is the chance we have now.
Q. Do you feel you have the support of the African nations?
A. Africa was a leader in the establishment of this court -- today, last Friday my deputy prosecutor was briefing the Peace and Security Council of Africa -- they have different opinions -- but the African union was the first to call to stop the crimes in Darfur so I think the African Union has to find a way to protect people in Darfur.
Q. So are you surprised by their reaction now?
A. Look I am just now presenting my evidence to the judges -- the focus is on my evidence -- the rest is not my responsibility.
All About Sudan • Genocide • Darfur • International Criminal Court

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Rob is on the cover of Les InRockuptibles - Here the scans and translation of his interview (it's a really great one), Cronenberg's (just the parts where he mentions Rob) and the movie review.
Rob talks about 'Cosmopolis', 'Mission: Blacklist', 'The Band', working with Cronenberg again, music, going to Coachella, favorite authors and movies, the first Twilight movie. Must read
Rob's Interview
Interview with a vampire
Robert Pattinson grew fangs after the Twilight saga. He's bringing them out to portray a greedy golden boy for Cronenberg. Charming and honest, he welcomed us in Los Angeles. By Jacky Goldberg.
The interview took place on the last floor of the Soho House that overlooks Sunset Strip. It was on the patio of the private club where cameras and telephones were forbidden. He was without his press agent. He wore a three days beard, a cap, brown chino cloth pants, and a plaid shirt.
The interview lasted one hour.
You live in LA now?
RP: Yes, for a little while now. At first I didn't know what to do there and now when I'm far away I miss it. Even more than London where I grew up but that all my friends left. My family still lives there but they want to come here, same for my friends. It's crazy, all you need is to spend a day in LA to want to move in. *laughs*
The movie breaks away from your image of the proper young man molded by Twilight and the few films that you filmed since then. Did you realise that as you were filming?
RP: Of course. I'm scared of being typecast *he thinks for a moment* ... like most actors who starts for that matter: it's important to branch out very early on. That's the whole point. In fact, I got offered the lead in Cosmopolis on my last day of filming Breaking Dawn. Right at the moment when I thought I was scared of repeating myself and bam! Cronenberg is calling me! It's better than anything I could ever dream of. Now I'm curious to see how the movie is received.
On the contrary, restrict yourself to only independent movies and not doing blockbusters anymore, doesn't that scare you?
RP: Honestly, if I could only play movies like Cosmopolis, it would be amazing. But they're hard to get. To tell you the truth, I'm not really interested by being at the head of big movies. First, it's harder to do: you have 20 people to answer to - in Cosmopolis: just one.
Then, in general, there's one two possible roles in those movies: you're either a teenager who becomes a man, or a teenager who's completely screwed up. when you're barely twenty, it's okay, you're having fun, you discover an incredible world, girls worship you. But it can't last forever.
What did David Cronenberg tell you when he called you?
RP: My agent sent me the script over a year ago but at that time it was Colin Farrell who was attached to the project. I told myself: "Fuuuuuuck, this script rocks! Why can't I be offered something like that? And why do you send me the script if the role is already taken *laughs*?" And one year later, out of nowhere, David calls me: "Hey do you want to do this movie?" I was terrified! The script looked so complex to me. A year before I was dreaming of it and then I felt unable to make a decision. It took me one week to find the courage to call David back.
Did he explain to you why he chose you?
RP: No, never. he didn't even make me audition. When I asked him about it, he told me he had a feeling ... when I told him that I wasn't sure what the movie was about, he replied: "Me neither, we're going to find out together." This is why I'm really curious to see people's reaction, even more so than usual.
Were you familiar with David's work before?
RP: Yes, I saw almost all his movies.
Which ones did you prefer?
RP: Probably Videodrome or Scanners. I like Crash a lot too. It did well in France, right? In England, I remember how people went nuts because of it. They even banned it! Of course, that made everyone wants to see it. When I watch it nowadays, it baffles me that it could have been banned. It's absurd.
Do you think it's your 'vampire' statut that attracted Cronenberg? In Cosmopolis, you play a trader, in a way, traders suck the blood of workers ...
RP: *dubious* Maybe, yes ... We can draw a parallel between capitalism and vampirism but the movie doesn't focus on a character that would want to destroy everything. This guy is looking for something. He saw everything already and wonders what else is there - there HAS to be something else. It's a pretty sad movie in the end. The trader tries to be better but his instincts and urges catch up to him.
Do you feel close to him?
RP: *swaying his head* Mmmyeah .. in a way. Insomuch as he sees something else than what's in front of him. He thinks that the world is not only the world, that there is a level of understanding far more elevated.
You said that the script was complex. The dialogue especially are very literary. Is this the firs time you face something like this?
RP: David was adamant over the respect of the text, down to the last word. I loved the rhythm of lines as soon as I read the script, it was out of the question to damage them. Usually, the script only represent a raw material that needs to sound real when you say it on camera. Here, it was different. To make it sound real wasn't enough for David. He's looking for a level of realism much deeper. It reminded me of theater, which I haven't done in a long time. To spend nights memorizing lines ... ultimately, it's nice and even cathartic: by repeating the words, they almost become mechanical.
Were you familiar with Don DeLillo's work?
RP: I only read Underworld forever ago. For the movie of course, I read Cosmopolis and since then all the others. I'm always asked this question and I don't want to sound stupid *laughs* But it's pretty difficult for me to talk about it. I love his style but I'm not sure I'm smart enough to understand all the range of his ideas.
Are you a big reader?
I read more a few years ago but it's more and more difficult for me now to find the time and concentration necessary to do so.
I heard that you like Michel Houellebecq ...
RP: Absolutely! You know we almost met in Paris? He must have read an interview where I talked about his novels and he called me while I was on a promo tour. But I was scared of meeting him *laughs* I regret it, it could have been nice to have had dinner with him. But I would love to work in an adaptation of one of his novels. What was the last one called?
La carte et le territoire. Did you read it?
RP: Not yet but I read the summary and it would make an amazing movie. All his movies would make great films.
Some were adaptated on the screen except for the last one and Plateforme ...
RP: Ah, I didn't know! Were the movies good?
Extension du domaine et de la lutte, yes, pretty well. I didn't see Les Particules élémentaires, directed by a german. And when it comes to La Possibilité d'une île, that he (Houellebecq) directed himself, it's a really stranger movie, with some beautiful bits and other that are completely failed ...
RP: I'm really curious to see all that. Especially Extension ... my favorite.
What is that attracts you about Houellebecq?
RP: He's described as a cynical novelist but they're completely wrong, just like for Cosmopolis: on the surface, these characters can seem like bad guys but they only try, desperately, to fufill their lives and to end up disappointed every time. This disappointment that animates them, and sometimes destroy them, is full of hope if you're willing to look at it. Martin Amis has a conception/view similar to that. But I'm probably talking nonsense right now, it's been years since I've read them. [he laughs and pour himself coffee again]. Did someone produce Whatever [note: the English title of Extension du domaine de la lutte.] in France? I can't believe it. This is the kind of movie that we can only see in your country. You have a funny view of what is commercial or not, you know that? Cosmopolis: only a French could produce it. [note: Paulo Branco.]
No doubt. It's like those big American filmmakers who have an audience onlmy or mostly in France: Coppola, Ferrera ...
RP: I did an audition for Ferrera one day but I didn't get the role. It was before Twilight. I felt like I accomplished my best performance, I almost broke my arm and he said: 'yeah, okay, not bad.' I left in tears, it was really embarrassing *laughs*! I want to be able to speak French so badly. A lot of things I want to are in French.
Oh really? Like what?
RP: I have a project with Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, who directed Johnny Mad Dog. It's called Mission: Blacklist, a movie about the search and capture of Saddam Hussein. And you know what? He wants to film in Iraq. Fuck yeah! Nobody else would have the balls to do that! Everyone wants him to go to Tunisia but he insists: it's happening in Iraq, I'm filming in Iraq. He's right! At least, as long as we don't get kidnapped *laughs*.
Which other French directors would you like to work with?
[without hesitating] Audiard. He's one of my favorites. I'm gonna do everything I can to see his new movie in Cannes.
Is it the first time you're going?
RP: No but I only came to do promotion. You feel kind of like a jerk in those situations, like a living banner. I imagine that when you're in competition, it's a completely different feeling. When I think about it, I tell myself: There, you didn't screw up your life entirely. Cannes ... I can't ever thank David enough for that.
Did you go often to the movies when you were a kid?
RP: Not too much in theaters but I used to love to rent VHS. There were always tons of girls in the aisles of the video store *laughs*. I ended up becoming friends with the owner of the store, a real movie fanatic. I always tried to get R rated movies out of him. I wanted to see violent movies but he would give me movies that were pretty arty. That's how I saw some Cassavetes at 12, some Godard too ... [he pauses for a bit] I want to do a movie with Godard so badly. That's the kind of surreal things I dream about ... That's why I did Twilight *laughs then sighs*!
What kind of childhood did you have?
RP: Pretty boring to be honest. I wanted to be a musician. I did rehearsals, and tiny concerts. That's about it. Later on, I joined a drama club, lots of pretty girls hung there *laughs*. I wanted to stay backstage only, it didn't interest me to play. But one day, I just went for it ...
To impress a girl?
RP: Exactly. I ended up playing in a few plays, an agent saw me and contacted me. It's still her that takes care of me today. The week after, I did an audition to play in Troy with Brad Pitt. I told myself What the fuck! At that time I didn't understand at all what I was doing, it took me 6 years to get there.
Does the over exposure surrounding Twilight piss you off? The fact that you're followed all the time by paparazzis?
RP: Your world shrinks all of the sudden and it's unpleasant, yes. But at the same time, you can turn this attention to your advantage. Even if people hate you, they're thinking about you. As a simple spectator, I would maybe tell myself: What the hell is Cronenberg doing with that guy? It only gives me one more reason to fight, to prove myself, to prove them wrong.
I mean that's enough, we're allowed to do shitty things from time to time! *laughs*
Not everything needs to be throwned away in Twilight. The first one was beautiful ...
RP: I agree. I saw it again recently. Catherine [note: Hardwicke, the director] is really talented. She directs and she's an audience member too, the kind that shivers when two characters kiss, and jolts when it's scary ... The first one was beautiful because it surprised: Catherine was in left in peace to film this little movie that no one cared about. the studio took less risks for the following movies. I find the mixture of erotism and prudery really strange. It's hard to do and sort of Cronenbergian. The characters don't have a happy and nice enough relation with bodies. It's really tortured.
What are you working on right now?
RP: I'm going to do a movie about The Band, the one that played with Dylan: a beautiful script about the nature of songwriting. I'm preparing a thriller too, with a beautifully written script too. It doesn't have a director yet. Tons of French diretors are in line to to do. A few years ago, Latin America was where it's happening, it seems it's France turn now ... I'm filming another movie with Cronenberg but i don't know when he wants to start filming. It's going to be his first one in the US and he promises it's going to be very strange. The next two or three years are going to be crucial for me. It's now that that everything happens.
You're coming back from Coachella, we saw the pictures online. What did you listen to?
RP: Well, nothing or almost nothing because of the paparazzis. It's really frustrating. All you want is to see a concert peacefully, dance a little, and you all 20 guys taking photos after photos. You feel like a dick in that case. I managed to see Radiohead ... Beirut, it was pretty good. And I saw a bit of the Justice set. I love their videos.
The one directed by Romain Gavras?
RP: Yes, Stress. Another French that rocks.
Apart from the bands you mentioned, what kind of music do you like?
RP: Not much lately, except for a hip-hop band. Death Grips, it's a mix of rap and techno music. It's pretty hardcore, not what I usually like but they have something, an undefinable genius. A few years back I had a big Van Morrison phase, a real obsession. I listen to Jazz and classical music a lot too. I must be getting old.
I read somewhere that you admired porn actors. Is that true?
I said that? *laughs* I don't remember that but why not. The subject interests me. I've always wanted do to something around this subject. It's one of the most interesting thing happening in our generation, don't you think? Everybody watches it but don't want to say it out loud. It's heavy kind of event and no one wants to write about it. I tried to two years ago but it lead to anything. Did you ever watch the AVN (note: Adult Video News) Awards? It's hilarious. There are so many of these people and they're so proud of what they do ... And when it comes to fighting for freedom of speech, they're the first in line. We can only admire them.
Translation of the Rob mention
When I started wondering which actor could possess all the wished criterias for the role, I thought of Rob. Eric Packer isn't a very sympathetic character and you need a lot of charisma to portray him.
Some actors are scared to play a negative character, especially when it's the lead, they fear for their image.
I was looking for an actor that wasn't scared of playing a bastard. It was the case for Robert. At the same time, I need an actor that radiated a certain weakness, a childish side, this aspect of a young man who's not done growing yet. And Rob has an amazing diction, it's important for this character that he never stop talking, with a fast pace and about complex subjects. We needed an actor able to carry this wordiness.
It's a rare quality for American actors, and much more frequent with English actors. In some way, by portraying a trader, Rob stays close to Twilight: he plays a vampire too! But the one in Twilight is gentle and romantic, whereas the expert in finance of Cosmopolis is a dangerous vampire.
To portray Eric Packer, Cronenberg chose Robert Pattinson, a brilliant idea on both counts. The star actor transition from Twilight to Cosmopolis with an incredible ease, and portray with brilliance this mixture of youth and cruelty, of sex-appeal and decline/decay, of desire and death, and finally of portraying this sickness of 'winning' confined to the morbid pathology that shines out of the movie and symbolizes our time.


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Sheep | |
A typical New Zealand sheep. Sheepherder is to the right, just out of frame. | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Chordata |
Class | Mammalia |
Order | Artiodactyla |
Family | Bovidæ |
Subfamily | Caprinæ |
Genus | Ovis |
Species | O. aries |
"Make mine a woolly!"
Sheep are shaggy, furry farm animals. The sheep has parlayed the term "multi-purpose" into species survival more neatly than architects have used it to sell overpriced elementary schools. For the sheep gives us wool, mutton, rams for battering, and satisfies one other universal need.
In fact, in no fewer than 12 British Commonwealth nations, it is claimed that a majority of the male population practices animal husbandry with Ovis aries as though it were the national pastime, though their governments deny it from time to time, and sheep shagging has never been portrayed on a postage stamp. The connection to sheep is strongest in agrarian communities such as Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, Wales, and the Falkland Islands. The poet laureate of the latter territory penned the original lyrics for the Beach Boys' hit, Two Sheep for Every Guy (later changed to adapt the song to the charts in the States). Sheep help the shepherd pass the time during long afternoons of doing nothing but watching sheep. In many towns in northern Scotland, a single sheep tied to a lamppost is referred to as the Community Recreation Centre.
Astrophysicist and furry-fan Carl Sagan described the world's population of sheep as, "Billions and billions." Down th' pub, they express this in simpler terms — "a whole fucking lot of sheep" — which is a veritable triple entendre. Most are cultivated for their wool and meat, meaning the sheep, that is, the punters not being cultivated at all. Even the sheep's signature baa is harvested, using the patented baa-harvesting machine, as modern farming "uses everything but the oink" — which, in the case of the sheep, is remarkably easy.
Sheep take the place of male prostitutes in Iraq, Kazakhstan, and of course پاکستان; though the Koran forbids sodomy with humans, it has a gaping hole regarding barn animals.
Sheep, oddly enough, often display sheep-like qualities, such as eating grass, growing a fine woolly coat, and possessing an acute fear of mint-based foods, especially mint jelly.
In hilly country, sheep have rear legs longer than their front legs, an adaptation that lets them face a hill without falling backwards. This appears to be an adaptive mutation comparable to the sidehill gouger (as seen in America in the Clockwise Mountain Cow and the Counterclockwise Mountain Cow, two species thought to be genetically identical despite the impossibility of interbreeding). Unfortunately, even smaller than the sheep's front legs is its pea brain, which leads it to forget which end is which. Sheep pointed away from, rather than toward, the mountain instantly somersault down it, a trait that amuses their herders almost as much as their other signature trait does. Helpfully, the herders often re-aim the sheep into the hillside.
Clearly God intended sheep (and all the rest of His wonderful, delicious creatures) to reside in tiny cages 24 hours a day. Sheep that get out are often seen running down the middle of a country road. Indeed, the sheep's only natural defence is its ability to outrun a farmer with his pants around his ankles. Sheep, like all wool-bearing animals, instinctively travel north, where it's cooler and the shepherds are less well-endowed.
Few people are aware that sheep are actually allergic to wool, a fact that would amuse the sheep, except that they have notoriously poor senses of irony.
Sheep language — what we might term sheepish — is simple to learn and master. It contains only a single word: "Baa." This simple language makes it hard to construct a negative sentence, which explains much about the sheep's popularity.
In return, that part of English that pertains to sheep has also been made simple. For example, the plural of sheep is the easy-to-learn "sheep." (Except at the butcher shop, where it is "mutton," when it is not "lamb," or when a live one wanders into the parlour, in which most people just exclaim, "Ew.")
Sheep also contribute to English through the production of dag wool; the term dag, which Wikipedia defines as "dung-encrusted" (compare American "dingle-berry"), is used by Australians as a term of endearment, which also explains a lot.
Sheep bombs
During World War II, German agents operating in Wales made use of the Schafenabwurfwaffen: small sheep crammed with thirty pounds of dynamite and a mechanical detonator placed in its rear. The plan was that the Schafenabwurfwaffen would wander into a flock of other sheep, becoming a terrorist weapon once the shepherd became amorous. But the Germans grossly overestimated the length of the average Welshman's actuator pin, and the plan backfired (or, rather, failed to backfire). Unexploded ordnance remains a peril in rural Wales to this day.
Although the usual act of love between a man and a sheep does not result in a live birth, modern society has seen explosive growth in the number of so-called sheeple. These beings resemble humans but have a simplistic, sometimes a one-word, language that more closely resembles sheep.
Many of these flocks are politically active. George Orwell first laid out their political manifesto (their so-called Animal Farm). They are also quite religious, and one of them actually attempted to vocalize the Lord's Prayer (Psalm 23) but of course botched it entirely. Jimmy Young, a disc jockey on BBC radio, tried to help them but did no better, uttering only nonsense about cutlets and karate. And buggers, of course. Animal-rights activists Pink Floyd heard this rendition and included it on their Animals fund-raising album, on a track appropriately entitled Sheep.
Sheep in science
Like science itself, sheep are supremely boring, so much so that attempting to count a flock of sheep renders a person unconscious. As in much of science, correlation is not causation; it may be that the act of counting induces sleep, or it may be that only dull-witted persons already on the verge of sleep undertake such a dopey activity. At any rate, counting a large flock of sheep often results in raving and drooling requiring hospital care. As they say in New Zealand, "you'll never have trouble sleeping with a sheep."
The study of sheep is properly encompassed by the field of biology — specifically, zoology — only, the relevant scientists have made a botch of it. The only field of knowledge able to explain these shaggy beasts is sheep physics. Sheep physics was first described in the book Ruminant Forces, by Professor L. Emerson. It continues to be a magnificent addition to the vibrant fields of science. Professor Shepherd Woolingham of Baa-Ram University obtained his sheepskin with a thesis describing how these animals could be used to produce free energy — or, in the wrong hands, create Doomsday devices.
Sheep physics can trace the arc of a sheep's flight from a trebuchet or the complex forces behind a sheep particle's attraction to another sheep particle. Work is currently under way at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland to construct a sheep-accelerator, which will fire one sheep at another sheep at nearly the speed of light. Sheep physicists hope to use the data from the sheep-accelerator to settle finally the following classic questions of science:
- How many Rorschach tests can be constructed from two vaporised sheep?
- How big of a boom will one sheep make when it achieves warp speed?
- How many sheep can we vaporise before the SPCA makes a stink?
Sheep as currency
The Australian Currency Reform Act of 1976 made the sheep legal tender in Australia and Tasmania and fixed its value at A$17. Many shops repriced all their wares to cost exactly A$17 (Sh$1), as the Act did not provide for coinage, and squeamish shoppers often balked at "making change" at the counter, even when the cashier provided the cleaver.
Unfortunately, the impossibility of putting several sheep in one's wallet impeded commerce by rendering wallets obsolete throughout the nation, though some of Tasmania's more backward citizens still shop with a sheep crammed down the back of their pants. Most Aussies now just carry one under each arm, reinforcing the notion of the "multi-purpose" sheep.
See also
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Eidos-Montreal's Thief reboot has had a long and colorful development cycle. Some people have worried about what that means for the finished product, but the team doesn't think its process has been unusual.
During an interview at CES 2014, we chatted with Thief's technical art director Jean-Normand Bucci, and he gave us his view of the game's development. "I have been in many different companies and many different projects and I don't see what happened with Thief as being all that different from other games. The advantage of an iterative process like this is that it brings new blood and fresh ideas and people to the project. I think that the team we have right now is the best team we could have to make the game we want to make."
Bucci also went into detail about what the team has been able to add to the game over the last year of development. "We have been listening to the fans and everyone to make sure that we address and enhance the game. We've worked hard on the AI very recently. We've added some addition audio and visual cues to help aid players to know if they are hidden or know how they can interact with the world. Guards now have a different patrol logic if there are multiple guards or a single guard. They work together more or dispatch each other to check on different areas of the environment. Internally we know we've had a lot to do, but we're happy with how the game has come along."
Thief releases for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC on February 25. During the show we also got hands on with a 4K demo of the game's controls, which you can read more about here, and be sure to check out our Thief cover hub to learn more about the game's development.


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Steve Leone
Wind Tower photo: Samdogs via PhotoRee |
The United States Department of Commerce has once again ruled in favor of American companies who say Chinese manufacturers are receiving unfair government subsidies.
American wind tower manufacturers filed a trade complaint in December against Chinese companies, and on Wednesday the DOC made its preliminary determination on countervailing duties. According to Wiley Rein, the lead counsel for the group that filed the petition, commerce found that mandatory respondents, Titan Wind Energy and CS Wind China, received countervailing subsidies from the Chinese government at rates of 26 percent and 13.74 percent, respectively. The agency also ruled that the duty against imports of all other Chinese utility-scale wind towers is 19.87 percent.
The DOC is scheduled to make a separate preliminary determination on its anti-dumping investigation against wind towers from China and Vietnam on July 26. According to trade experts who weighed in after a similar set of investigations in the solar industry, anti-dumping tariffs are often set higher than countervailing duties. The petitions filed assert dumping margins of 64.37 percent for China and 59.11 percent for Vietnam. The case covers wind towers that are at least 50 meters tall and designed to support large-scale turbines with capacities greater than 100 kilowatts.
"This is an important step in remedying the harm caused by unfairly traded wind tower exports," said Alan H. Price of Wiley Rein. "We look forward to further relief when antidumping duties are announced in about two months."
The Wind Tower Trade Coalition (WTTC) includes Trinity Towers (TRN), DMI, Broadwind (BWEN) and Katana Summit, said Dan Pickard of Wiley Rein shortly after the group filed the complaints.
The law firm is also representing the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM), which filed a trade complaint against Chinese solar manufacturers in October. The DOC has ruled in favor of CASM on both the countervailing duties and the anti-dumping tariffs. The anti-dumping rates were set at 31 percent in what has become a fierce and hotly debated issue in both the American and the global solar industries. That ruling has drawn sharp rebukes from a large segment of the American solar industry, as well as the Chinese government, which is quickly ramping up its own investigations. The issue, though, has played well politically, with key Democrats backing the tough measures.
While China has risen to dominance in the global solar industry, its manufacturing presence is much smaller in wind. However, members of the WTTC say that they are being forced out of the industry because of the price of towers beings shipped to the United States.
The American wind market continues to put up strong installation numbers, but the industry is fighting to extend the Production Tax Credit, a key financial component that backers say is critical to the market's continued growth. However, no deal has been reached, and many manufacturers have stated that they may turn away from the U.S. market without an extension.
Steve Leone is an Associate Editor at RenewableEnergyWorld.com. He has been a journalist for more than 15 years and has worked for news organizations in Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia and California.


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Imagine a neighborhood with clean air, safe places for children to play, and abundant green spaces—all the attributes of a healthy community. Many people lack these basic amenities and I ask myself, why? Are these fundamental needs not the rights of all people?
Majora Carter has spent a large part of her life fighting for environmental justice and promoting the idea that "you don't have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one." As a child growing up in the South Bronx, she watched her once thriving neighborhood disintegrate under the weight of poverty, industrial waste, and the worst kind of urban planning. Subsequently, pollution rose, health rates declined, and the economy weakened. Carter began fighting for the revitalization of the South Bronx and secured a $1.25 million federal grant to redevelop the south Bronx waterfront to bring environmental improvements to her community.
To continue this fight, Carter founded Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx), a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming underserved urban communities into sustainable places to live. Her work at SSBx boosted the creation of environmental education programs, green job training, and community projects. Carter now serves as the President of the Majora Carter Group, where she concentrates her efforts on environmental remediation with clients.
People like Majora Carter make me believe that a healthy and sustainable community is indeed attainable for all people. Her work promotes the idea that a collaborative model where government, developers (business and industry), and community unite to create environmental justice is possible. A clean green economy can exist where all people can thrive and live healthy sustainable lives.
Joanna Gangi: There is a major social equity gap in the environmental movement. Why do you think that has been the case? What can we do to make our movement more inclusive?
Majora Carter: Most real social change in societies comes from the advancement of equality. The American Revolution, the Suffrage movement, Labor Rights, Civil Rights, even the Internet.
The environmental movement has traditionally left people behind in environmental sacrifice zones, which are almost always populated by poor people—usually non-white, but not always.
So, for instance, while the environmental movement may have had past successes in getting land preserved or making automobile emissions cleaner, it has not worked as hard to ensure that working-class people living near preserved land can make a living through sustainable stewardship of the area; nor have the oil refineries near where poor people live become any less toxic.
If we had located our power, waste, transport, and mega-agriculture infrastructure near wealthy people like we have with poor people, we would have had a clean, green economy decades ago. Instead, the environmental movement turned its back on the point sources of greenhouse gases and pollution in favor of their own backyards and favorite animal species. The public health stats illustrate this phenomenon quite clearly.
If we can turn the "environmental" movement into an "environmental equality" movement, I believe new allies will come on board with more passion and tenacity than we've seen before. Clean air, water, and land is not evenly distributed. Poor people are more likely to breathe dirtier air, drink dirtier water, and live, work, or go to school on toxic soils.
The hunger for equality will always be greater than support for Cap and Trade or some other effort that's not directly tied to the lives of people. If we bring everyone together for environmental equality, many of the traditional environmentalists' goals will surely be met as well.
Joanna Gangi: As you have said, economic degradation begets environmental degradation, which begets social degradation. What do you see as the key leverage points for breaking that cycle?
Majora Carter: I think comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the long term consequences of environmental management is the best place to start. For example, look at coal country in West Virginia: You have a traditionally poor rural area, so you can assume the people there have little to no political power. Mountain top removal strip mining moves in and destroys their water table and their air quality while producing very few jobs. So now they have no cheap clean water supply, dirty air, and continuing unemployment. It adds up to hopelessness, which leads to drug and alcohol abuse, domestic abuse, poor school performance among kids, increased teen pregnancy, etc.
Mountain Memories: Interview with Judy Bonds
Before she died, West Virginia activist Judy Bonds gave this interview about fighting to save her home from mountaintop removal coal mining.
These problems all cost a lot to combat, but the company pulling the coal out of the area does not pay; taxpayers do. If we look at the two to four years' worth of coal energy produced in such an operation, against all the social and environmental services costs in the context of quality, it's not economic development in any rational sense of the word.
I think this template can be applied to everything from shopping malls to feed lots. Positive alternatives to bad projects will make better economic sense when we first look at the fallout from inequalities among our fellow Americans that a given proposal might produce.
Joanna Gangi: What is your message to people living in underserved neighborhoods who want to make a difference, but may not know where to start or have the appropriate resources?
Majora Carter: Your local elected officials and your fire, police, and parks departments are there for you and most of them really do care—but you have to engage them in a constructive manner. Start by talking among your friends about what you would like to see different in your area. This is not just for "underserved" neighborhoods—all communities can benefit from some intelligent discussion.
So, if it's a traffic light that doesn't give enough time to cross a dangerous intersection, a truck route near residences, not enough green space, or locating a landfill, power plant, or other noxious infrastructure near people, it all matters.
Start with the people responsible for your area and see what you can accomplish. Not everyone will respond, but that might mean your approach is not appropriate for what they can do. Make sure you ask, they will probably say yes. Positive momentum can go a long way.
When I wrote a $1.25 million federal transportation planning grant, I had no idea what I was doing. But I kept the conversation alive in various settings and asked for help. People came out of the bureaucratic woodwork to guide the process and help shape the language for the system. It worked, and today the project has secured over $20 million in local funds and another $30 million in Federal Stimulus funding (shovel ready). This is more money for a project designed with positive community impacts in mind than the South Bronx has seen in almost a century.
But it all started with regular people talking constructively to one another.
Joanna Gangi: You've said that the economic and environmental injustices inflicted on the South Bronx were a direct product of urban planning. When you look at large scale urban planning projects going on now, do you see signs of improvement?
Majora Carter: Not really. I think the use of eminent domain to promote purely private development is a disturbing national trend. Government-subsidized stadium construction is often lurking in the shadows of these undemocratic land deals. In my hometown, we watched with disbelief as New York City's Mayor Bloomberg and our former borough president, Adolfo Carrion, supported a new Yankee stadium to be built on an 18-acre public park with trees over 100 years old—all gone now. This is the richest baseball team in a part of the city with the lowest parks-to-people ratio. And now both of these characters are running around the country promoting themselves as "green." I can't think of any current large scale projects that are going to bring about more equality.
The real intelligent planning and execution is happening on a community/neighborhood level. This is where the real heroes are, but they remain largely unsung. I am currently putting together a new TV series with Sundance Channel to highlight these innovative attempts.
Joanna Gangi: You've identified the players involved in making the triple bottom line work for development projects: developer, community, government. Can you think of an example when these three entities have really come together for the greater good?
Majora Carter: Yes, of course. My favorite is Bogotá, Colombia. In the late '90s while Enrique Peñalosa was mayor, he took a hard look at how much money was going into transport infrastructure and who was benefiting. He didn't have much money to work with, so he looked for low cost investments that would produce the highest quality of life impact.
How to Build a Happy City: Interview with Enrique Peñalosa
The former Bogotá mayor is convincing city planners from Beijing to Mexico City to create lively public spaces that center around people and community, not cars.
His administration purchased large tracts of suburban land, beyond the slums that ringed the city. The DOT connected the land via bike and pedestrian routes to local shopping areas and mass transit hubs—but no automobile access except for emergency and delivery vehicles.
In a short time, developers were putting private investments into housing along these non-auto routes. Simple, resident-generated community improvements were implemented in the existing poor neighborhoods, while relatively higher income Bogotaños occupied most of the new housing.
Bike repair and juice stands opened along the route—owned and operated by previously unemployed people. Police spent less time on car theft and more time on community. Public health improved. Everybody gained, and I hear it's gotten even better since I was there in 2005.
Joanna Gangi: The International Living Building Institute is hosting the Living City Design Competition. The competition calls on designers, students, and activists from around the world to create inspiring but realistic visions for the future of civilization. Competition teams will conceptually retrofit existing cities, demonstrating how real communities might transform their relationship with the resources that sustain them. What do you think the most important consideration should be for teams working on this competition? Do you think communities like yours in the South Bronx would be interested in this kind of visioning process?
Majora Carter: I think that people in communities across America, who currently experience environmental inequality, would be interested in seeing the teams demonstrate how to transform the relationship with resources that sustain others. How do we remove the unequal environmental burdens that currently befall some people disproportionately?
Beyond that, locally maintained horticultural infrastructure should be integrated into all new and renovated buildings and landscape design. The technology is there to utilize greywater, manage stormwater runoff, incorporate high-yield agricultural systems, reduce the urban heat island effect, and more.
The effects of smart policies that incorporate those environmental services' cost savings would be a great thing to see—what would the government savings over the typical 20-year municipal bond issue be?
Joanna Gangi: Your personal story is a major source of inspiration to many people who have felt marginalized by the green movement. What have you learned along the way that surprised you the most?
Majora Carter: I learned that my message plays just as well in "red" states as they do in "blue" states, based on the heartfelt personal reactions I get. I come from the most urban place in the U.S., but I have directly comparable experiences to people in rural areas and places in between. The solutions are often based in shared experience, too. I am so happy to see that an idea like "you don't have to move out of your neighborhood to live in a better one" is gaining ground everywhere!
- Video: How plastic unfairly harms the poor—and what the rest of us can do about it.
- Shutting down coal mines was a first step. Now Navajo activists are working for a new, green-jobs economy.
- In Mexico, communities own and manage their own forests, a proven method for reducing deforestation.


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Last week I explained that Congress has become an incompetent institution, unable to do its most basic work of passing annual appropriations bills to keep the government running. We usually think of incompetence as being the result of ineptness, stupidity or ignorance. But in the case of Congress, it is often intentional and deliberate, part of a long-term strategy by some Republicans to undermine government itself.
Former Republican congressional staffer Mike Lofgren first alerted me to this phenomenon two years ago in a widely discussed article, "Goodbye to All That: Reflections of a GOP Operative Who Left the Cult." In it, he discussed the tactic of filibustering all legislation in the Senate and all nominations to administration positions, regardless of merit. In Lofgren's words:
A couple of years ago, a Republican committee staff director told me candidly (and proudly) what the method was to all this obstruction and disruption. Should Republicans succeed in obstructing the Senate from doing its job, it would further lower Congress's generic favorability rating among the American people. By sabotaging the reputation of an institution of government, the party that is programmatically against government would come out the relative winner.
A deeply cynical tactic, to be sure, but a psychologically insightful one that plays on the weaknesses both of the voting public and the news media. There are tens of millions of low-information voters who hardly know which party controls which branch of government, let alone which party is pursuing a particular legislative tactic. These voters' confusion over who did what allows them to form the conclusion that "they are all crooks," and that "government is no good," further leading them to think, "a plague on both your houses" and "the parties are like two kids in a school yard." This ill-informed public cynicism, in its turn, further intensifies the long-term decline in public trust in government that has been taking place since the early 1960s - a distrust that has been stoked by Republican rhetoric at every turn ("Government is the problem," declared Ronald Reagan in 1980).
An ABC News/Washington Post poll out this week confirms that the strategy is working.
I recalled Lofgren's statement on Wednesday when I saw that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) blasted the Internal Revenue Service for delaying the 2014 filing season by two weeks. Said Camp, "There is no reason the IRS should not be able to do its job on time."
The IRS explanation for the delay, however, is both understandable and believable—it is because of the 2-week government shutdown that Camp's party petulantly undertook a quixotic effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which was enacted 4 years ago and took effect on October 1. As the IRS patiently explained, the government closure came during the peak period for preparing its systems for the new filing year, which begins in just a few weeks.
Thus we see a perfect example of what I will henceforth call the Lofgren Corollary to the definition of chutzpah. Chutzpah, of course, is a wonderful Yiddish word for someone with massive nerve, the classic example being the child who murders his parents and then asks the court for mercy on the grounds of being an orphan. The Lofgren Corollary refers to Republicans who intentionally sabotage government programs by denying them adequate resources and then complain that the programs don't work, thus justifying further reductions in resources leading to more problems. The goal is to ultimately abolish the program on the grounds of being ineffective.
Of course it always helps if you can also deny the government agency administering a program a permanent leader, as Republicans in the Senate have routinely done during the Obama presidency. This forces agencies to operate on "automatic pilot," unable to move forward and deal with issues arising within its jurisdiction, thus leading to problems that justify abolition of the agency and the programs it administers.
Another tactic is to make sure that an agency never knows exactly what its budget is. In the last three years, virtually every agency of government has had to deal with wildly fluctuating estimates of how much money it will have to spend, owing to various budget deals, sequestration and Congress's unwillingness to pass regular appropriations bills, not to mention the constant threat of a government shutdown.
Right now, every agency is operating under a "continuing resolution" that expires on January 15. A "CR," as it is called, simply allows agencies to spend at the previous year's rate without any adjustment for inflation or changes necessitated by new laws or changing circumstances. This means that programs that should be cut continue to operate even as those that desperately need funding are deprived of adequate resources.
Once one understands the Lofgren Corollary, it is very easy to implement in a variety of situations—as long as one cares nothing about the proper functioning of government. With the sole exception of national security, with which they are obsessed, Republicans think many government programs are worthless and deserving of abolition or at least massive cuts. They disdain examining programs individually and assessing their effectiveness for fear that they might discover they have value.
One of the big concerns for Republicans is that they agreed to slash all programs equally through a sequester in 2011, including the national security programs they believe are essential. A further cut of $52 billion in defense programs is scheduled for January unless the sequester is changed or abolished.
Democrats hope to use the threat of additional defense cuts to finally get Republicans to negotiate in good faith on the budget. Democrats hope for a deal that will increase both defense and domestic spending above that scheduled under the sequester, raising additional revenues through loophole closings to keep the deficit on a downward path. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew laid out this strategy in a speech to the liberal Center for American Progress yesterday.
It is too soon to say what will happen in January. Hardliners such as Senator Ted Cruz of Texas openly talk about another government shutdown unless spending is slashed, even though the deficit has fallen 60 percent since 2009. Republicans continually play on the public's ignorance of this fact. According to a September 26 Bloomberg poll, 59 percent of people incorrectly believe the deficit is rising versus just 10 percent who know that it is actually falling.
Whatever happens, we can be sure that Republicans will continue to operate on the basis of the Lofgren Corollary—at least until there is another Republican president.


text:
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
Download PDF version of this article
In 2005–06, 11 men from Douala were imprisoned for more than 12 months. Their crime: having gone to a nightclub known to be frequented by homosexuals, and not having enough money to bribe the police. After intense local and international pressure, the acquittal of these 11 men became a watershed event for MSM in Cameroon, galvanizing activists to scale up activities aimed at reducing the spread and impact of HIV among MSM.
Alternatives-Cameroun is a beacon of hope for MSM in a country where extortion and police harassment of MSM are still quite common. Led by a team of professionals (among them doctors, lawyers, media practitioners, and other healthcare providers) who are also activists, Alternatives has developed a comprehensive wellness model for meeting the HIV-related needs of MSM.
The core of Alternatives' programming is the Access Centre—a wellness center for MSM that offers primary healthcare services and referrals, and hosts discussions, debates, and support groups. Along with basic services, the center provides a safe space for MSM to feel valued and find a sense of community. Through an outreach program to various health centers and civil society partners, the Access Centre offers a referral network to assist MSM in securing much-needed help with legal support and vocational training.
In addition to traditional street and bar outreach, Alternatives-Cameroun utilizes culturally specific approaches to inform, empower, and motivate hidden MSM. Uniquely, the organization has adopted an old West African tradition known as Grins to make contact with MSM who might not be reached through lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) venues. A Grins is a collective of men who gather for social support in a member's home. Alternatives set up numerous Grins throughout Douala, training leaders to offer HIV risk reduction information as well as referral to its Access Center.
Additionally, Alternatives recognized the need to make contact with men online through sexual networking websites. "Clearly, MSM are meeting each other online and making connections for sex—it is only right that we be there to inform and empower them to play safe," says Steave Nemande, president of Alternatives-Cameroun. The organization now trains online peer educators to surf various websites used by MSM in Cameroon, befriending and informing men about HIV risk reduction strategies and offering social support in an anonymous manner. This Internet outreach has produced an increase in the uptake of Alternatives' primary health services.
The growth and success of Alternatives-Cameroun has led to increased support from other civil society organizations, primarily in the health and legal sectors. The help of their allies has encouraged the group to move forward with plans to more forcefully advocate the decriminalization of same-sex behavior.
The comprehensive nature of their program (outreach, education, social support, and healthcare services and referrals) has had a measurable impact on the health and well-being of MSM in Douala. In light of their success, Alternatives is expanding its reach throughout Cameroon and is making plans to work with MSM communities in Yaoundé and Buea.
"Nicholas" is a client of Alternatives-Cameroun.
"I am a 26-year-old IT specialist, one of six children. I was imprisoned for a year because of my sexual identity. After being freed from prison, I learned about Alternatives through friends who encouraged me to become involved. I won't share all the details of my imprisonment, except to say that I suffered deeply. I was very lonely and isolated. Nothing like Alternatives existed before. The program brought me together with other men like myself who supported each other. It taught me about my sexuality and, more importantly, about the risk of being infected with HIV and how to prevent that. Another motivation was receiving free condoms, which are very expensive at the drugstore."


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Those of you who are searching for ancestors may not always find the cream of the crop, so to speak. The "International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists" or "IBSSG" is a society for those who have come across a "Black Sheep" in their family genealogies. The goals of the Society are as follows:
The purpose of the Society is to discuss these individuals in order to learn more about them and share information about your "Black Sheep" with other members of the IBSSG! Many times having a Black Sheep in the family leads to a family "wall of silence" and research into the family becomes very difficult. Our Goal is to help find alternate routes to information sources, and to "normalize" the view of the black sheep as a person, who has a place in the FACTUAL history of the family, without regard to behaviors.
Remember, the acts may be embarrassing to others in your family, but within the Society, you are not alone! Many of us have similar situations, and can relate (actually many of us are related) to the problems in doing this research.
Jeff Scism, IBSSG, Flockmaster
Just so you don't think me immune from sheep such as these and so you will feel that you're in good company, here is my application for membership and my acceptance letter:
March 13, 2001
Dear People,
Would you please consider me for qualification as a member of the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists? I refer to three of my ancestors and their accounts may also be found on my personal web site, "The Koska~Timm Family Rosebush" found at www.megspace.com/family/achsah2.
The first concerns my ggggggggg-grandfather, Henry Wolcott. Since he was "had up" in the courts, I believe his misdeeds would fall within the "criminal" category, considering this happened in the 1600's.
Henry, his wife Elizabeth, and their children sailed to America in 1630 on the "Mary and John." This was the same year the ten ships of the Winthrop fleet sailed and just ten years after the Mayflower sailed. Henry's grandson Roger became governor of Connecticut 1750-54. His g-g-great-grandson Oliver was the governor of Connecticut 1796-97 and was also a Signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Despite the noble and notable history of this family, there was a dark page in their past! The records of the Bishop of Bath and Wells record that on July 17, 1609, Henry Wolcott was: "Had up for incontinence with Elizabeth, his wife, before marriage. They were married two years agone and she was delivered of child within thirty weeks after."
(Goodness, I was delivered of child, well, children ~ they were twins, within that same approximate time span of 30 weeks and they were my fourth and fifth children!)
In the same year that Henry was being held accountable, depositions taken between May and September revealed that: "Hugh Treble was had up for fathering an illegitimate male child on the body of Agnes Saunders, daughter of Thomas Saunders of Lydiard, St. Lawrence some seven or eight years before." (Now, Agnes was the sister of Henry's wife Elizabeth. Seems to me that the charges of incontinence should possibly have been shared with the Saunders girls!)
The second concerns my great-great-great-grandparents John and Electa Wilhelm, whose granddaughter was, incidentally, in the same line as Henry Wolcott. This incident was of a social nature, harmful only to John himself. However, had he had survived the incident, it may have been considered criminal!
John and Electa had a serious fight which led to Electa's moving out of her home to live with a daughter. She died while there and was buried away from the family plot. Later, John decided to exhume her body by himself and move her to the place where they had intended to be buried together or to where he had decided they should be buried together. While he was digging her up, he himself died.
The third concerns my paternal grandfather. Because he was not apprehended, it will remain a social indiscretion.
According to my brother, our grandfather Frank had a still during the depression and sold his moonshine. Now, this was not in the back hills of Kentucky, but on the vast plains of Minnesota! Of course, at that time "la creme de la creme" brewed the stuff in their bathtubs! Once, when Grandpa was on his way to sell a load in his new car, he was beset by revenuers who shot at the car. When he got home and Grandma saw the damage, he tried to blame the holes on the gravel roads!
On another occasion, Grandma sent Dad out to dig up the garden. When Grandpa found what he was doing, he beat Dad because he had some moonshine stashed there. When my daughter heard this story, she said that Grandma probably knew about the buried moonshine and told Dad to dig hoping that the stash would be exposed without her intervention!
Thank you for your kind attention to my request.
Barbara Koska Timm
His answer was:
Yes on three counts of Qualification, attempted body snatching and all.
Jeff Scism
If your ancestor was saint or cudge,
Who are we to be the judge?
For seldom is a person known,
By a few facts and stories shown.
Because of my acceptance into the society, I am now entitled to sign genealogical correspondence as "Barbara Koska Timm, IBSSG!" Meanwhile, my cousin is searching for evidence that will qualify us as "Decendants of Bastards of English Royalty!"
You may reach the IBSSG site by clicking on the banner below:
Mahnomen Co., MNGenWeb Project
Thanks to Rootsweb for hosting this site
County Coordinator:
Site Map on Home Page
MNGenWeb State Coordinator
The graphics on this site come from the following providers:
©Copyright ~ Barbara Koska Timm


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ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light
Some animals and insects on earth can see types of radiant energy that are outside of the range visible to humans. Some types of snakes called pit vipers can see in the infrared. Pit vipers are able to find small animals to eat even in the darkness. They see the infrared light given off by the animals.
Watch the quicktime move to see how they do it.
Pit vipers have small pits alongside their face that are used to feel the infrared radiation. As they shift their head from side to side they find the small animal by determining the direction of the most intense radiation.


text:
British police are reportedly investigating three new sexual assault allegations against Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey, including one accusation that dates back more than two decades, NBC News reported.
The allegations against Spacey, the former artistic director of the Old Vic theater in London, were first reported by TMZ and later confirmed by police to Variety.
The new reports come after actor Guy Pearce, who co-starred with Spacey in the 1997 noir thriller "L.A. Confidential," told an Australian talk show host that Spacey was a "handsy guy."
London's Metropolitan Police had previously confirmed three other investigations against Spacey, bringing the total to six. He also faces a wave of sexual misconduct allegations in the United States.


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• rumpus •
Pronunciation: rêm-pês • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. An uproar, hullabaloo, brouhaha, fracas. 2. A loud, disorderly quarrel.
Notes: My picture of our recently renovated 160-year-old basement brought to Jackie Strauss's mind a rumpus room. A rumpus room was a room for recreation that didn't have to be kept tidy. She was right; the perfect name for our basement. Rumpus is yet another lexical orphan without derivational relatives.
In Play: The first meaning of today's word is usually associated with kids: "What is all the rumpus in here? When I said you could have a party, kids, I didn't mean you could take the house down!" The other meaning is more often associated with adults: "Must we have a rumpus every time I ask you to clean the garage?"
Word History: Rumpus was apparently an attempt to make romp sound more like Latin by combining it with ruckus. The best guess is that ruckus arose from ruction "uprising, disorderly quarrel", a mispronunciation of insurrection. The earliest form of ruction was 'ruction, indicating an omission (see also 'gator, 'coon, 'possum). Romp is also of questionable origins. The best guess here is that it is a mispronunciation of the ramp in rampant. Ramp originally referred to an animal rearing up on the hind legs in a threatening position. This sense is still used in the world of heraldry, as a lion rampant on a gold crest. (Thanks to Stephen Pashkovich for remodeling our basement and to Jacqueline Kravitz Strauss for remembering what it should be called—both without making any rumpus at all.)
P.S. - Register for the Daily Good Word E-Mail! - You can get our daily Good Word sent directly to you via e-mail in either HTML or Text format. Go to our Registration Page to sign up today!


text: Jason Mraz gave a taste of what his upcoming Broadway debut in Waitress is going to be like at an intimate three-song performance on October 30 at YouTube Space NY. The Grammy winner dueted with Waitress leading lady (and former Broadway.com vlogger) Betsy Wolfe on two of the show's numbers: "It Only Takes a Taste" and "Bad Idea" before picking up his guitar and crooning "93 Million Miles." Mraz then sat down with Waitress songwriter Sara Bareilles to answer some questions, including the very important matter of his choice between sugar, butter and flour. His answer? He's more of a stevia, avocado, almond meal kind of guy. Adorable! Check out the photos here, then catch Mraz in the role of Dr. Pomatter beginning on November 3 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.


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text:
State Sues Florist Who Refused to Decorate Gay Wedding
The State of Washington is suing a small flower shop after the owner declined to provide flowers for a homosexual wedding – based on her religious beliefs.
Barronelle Stutzman, the owner of Arlene's Flowers in Richland, Wash., is facing thousands of dollars in fines and penalties for allegedly violating the state's Consumer Protection Act.
"If a business provides a product or service to opposite-sex couples for their weddings, then it must provide same-sex couples the same product or service," Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a statement.
On March 1, a longtime customer asked Stutzman to provide flowers for his upcoming same-sex wedding. According to court documents, she told him that she would not be able to do so "because of her relationship with Jesus Christ."
The Attorney General's office sent a letter to the florist on March 28 giving her a chance to reconsider her position and sign an agreement indicating her intention to comply with the law. But Stutzman refused.
"Under the Consumer Protection Act, it is unlawful to discriminate against customers on the basis of sexual orientation," the attorney general said.
In their letter to Stutzman, they told her the only way to avoid a lawsuit was to agree to provide services for homosexual weddings.
"This means that as a seller of goods or services, you will not refuse to sell floral arrangements for same-sex weddings if you sell floral arrangements for opposite-sex weddings," the attorney general's office wrote.
Attorney JD Bristol called the notion that his client was guilty of discrimination "nonsense."
"Arlene's Flowers has catered to all patrons, including homosexuals, for many years," Bristol wrote in his reply to the Attorney General. "Arlene's Flowers has had openly gay employees."
He told The Seattle Times that he believes the state is trying to make an example of the flower shop.
"This is about gay marriage, it's not about a person being gay," he told the newspaper. "She has a conscientious objection to homosexual marriage, not homosexuality. It violates her conscience."
Bristol said he believes this is a freedom of religion issue.
"What the government is saying here is that you don't have the right to free religious exercise," he told the newspaper.
Religious liberty groups in Washington and across the country are voicing their support for the flower shop.
"You may not be a florist, and you may have made a different decision, but liberty is at stake for all of us," said Joseph Backholm, executive director of the Family Policy Institute of Washington. "Draw your line in the sand right here."
Backholm sent an email blast urging supporters to stand with Arlene's Flowers.
"Don't ignore the bully just because he hasn't punched you in the mouth yet," he said. "A small business owner is looking at years of litigation and huge legal expenses because she won't bow to the political elites."
Peter Sprigg, with the Family Research Council, told Fox News they are seeing more and more of these types of cases.
"People need to be aware this is the underlying motive for the push for same sex marriage," he said. "It's not just about legal rights and benefits. It's about forcing everyone in society to recognize their relationships as being one hundred percent equal to opposite sex marriages."
He called the lawsuit a dangerous step towards encroaching on religious liberty.
"It also reflects a narrow view of religious liberty where people may have freedom to exercise religious liberty in their church but they don't have that right when they go outside those four walls," he said.
The Attorney General is seeking a permanent injunction forcing the flower shop to comply with the law – as well as $2,000 in fines for every violation.


text:
Episode 13
Isn't it always the way that the moment you get down to doing something important that requires a large part of your concentration, some idiot rolls up with an inane problem that just can't wait?
Like now, for instance, when the PFY and I are trying to quietly drill a small inspection hole in a recently delivered crate to see if there's something inside which we might not want rolling around Mission Control...
"My desktop background isn't working any more," the user whimpers. "It used to work but now it doesn't."
"Really?" the PFY asks, turning the brace and bit very, very quietly. "What was the picture?"
"It was a still from the new Harry Potter."
"Which series?" I ask, feigning interest. "The first seven books or the second seven?"
"There's no second seven!"
"Of course there is. The second series is where Harry and Hermione bring their kids up at Hogwarts."
"No, Harry marries Ginny!"
"Oh that – that was a dream sequence from when Harry doesn't die. In actual fact the all the Weasleys are all killed at the beginning of the second series."
"B... by the spirit of Voldemort and the Cruciatus Curse?"
"Nah, Harry by accident. He accidentally switches a tanning booth on and the poor Weasleys go up like ants under a magnifying glass."
"You're lying!"
"No, it's true!" the PFY says. "I've got a mate who does typesetting for the editor's preview editions of books. He told me about it - and he's even sent me the whole preview set."
"Where?" our user gasps.
"They're in this crate here. Hang on, we'll go and get a crowbar and we'll get them out for you," the PFY says, as we head to the door.
Seconds later the sound of creaking wood can be heard as the Potter-spotter pries away at the crate anxiously, not wanting to wait...
. . .
"Railgun powered Shuriken launcher," the PFY says thoughtfully, a few minutes and a loud crash later. "Interesting."
"Not as interesting as this," I say, cautiously prodding the bot at the bottom of the stairwell before removing several security screws in the bot's lid.
"Tadaaa," I say, withdrawing a small video camera hidden in the base of the bot. "This baby was timed to start the moment the bot was activated..."
. . . moments later at Mission Control . . .
"So they unpacked it in an empty carpark building," the PFY says, gazing at the video footage. "What a sneaky idea!"
"Yep," I say. "And see how they use the armoured window in the stairwell doors to observe what happens when they push a store dummy out on a wheelie chair. Ingenious! This calls for some serious thinking. Get me some lager!"
. . . a day later. . .
"So what've you come up with?" the PFY asks expectantly.
"A master plan!" I respond proudly. "Upon activation the Bot does... nothing!"
"Yep. Then, when it notices a change in light intensity - ie, when someone approaches - it starts puncturing these."
"Cans of... cheap.. pepper spray," the PFY says disappointedly.
"Yeah. Whadya think?"
"It's a little..."
"Crap?" I suggest.
"Well... yeah."
"Indeed it is. You'll note that the pepper spray cartridges are a very cheap eastern European variety, poorly secured and will probably fall from the Bot's grip the moment the first can is punctured. In terms of attack value it's next to worthless."
"So why..."
"Because when the attack fails the bot will, as we know from our video footage, be loaded into the back of a van and taken back to their labs for some re-engineering."
"And will reactivate once it gets into their building – BECAUSE YOU PUT A GPS IN IT!!!!" the PFY gasps.
"Precisely..." I smirk.
"I knew..."
"...precisely what it's not going to do. No, the robot DOES have a GPS in it which IS integral to the plan - but it's not triggered by locational information."
"Not triggered by locational information..." the PFY says thoughtfully, knowing that if he can't work it out he'll be paying for tomorrow night's drinks. "Uh... ELEVATION!"
"Nope.." I reply, thinking happy free lager thoughts.
. . .
"The BLOODY BLACKWALL TUNNEL," the PFY says disgustedly as he hands over a fistful of notes to the Barman.
"Yes indeedy," I say. "Nothing quite like the absence of all GPS signals to indicate that a vanload of robo-geeks – in a confined space – has just entered a busy road tunnel with no safe means of escape."
"Which is where the non-eastern-European tear gas canister came in," the PFY sighs as the barman gestures for some more notage to cover the ridiculously expensive imported hand-fashioned lager that I've just become accustomed to...